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Apples and pears at risk due to dramatic decline.....
dailymail.co.uk — British apples and pears are under threat because of a dramatic decline in honeybee numbers, experts have warned.The bee population in Britain has fallen by a third over the past year alone due to bad weather, insecticides and soaring numbers of parasitic mites.
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- palehorse864, on 09/05/2008, -4/+39Well, bad time to invest in Apple stock it seems. Whoever this pear company is though, I've never heard of them.
- hiPpymIck, on 09/05/2008, -7/+1rhyming slang
apples and pears = flight of stairs - sryan8913, on 09/05/2008, -2/+2that was really bad
- FTLJohnson, on 09/05/2008, -6/+2I'm currently living in Los Gatos, CA, and never having been in California before, I was really surprised to see them laying out fly and bee traps hanging from trees about every 20 feet. I saw about 20 bees in one trap...
One thing that didn't surprise me, was to find out that it may be likely that this problem is being caused by government decisions, even if it is a generally liberal leaning government.
Do you think a vote would pass to "get rid of the bee traps" when people are generally just annoyed by them nesting in houses? Who wins... annoyed people, or people that want to save the environment? Tyranny of the majority doesn't work in nature.- skiboy352001, on 09/05/2008, -0/+3Those traps are to detect the presence of Africanized honey bees. This slight loss is minor in comparison to the fungal devastation the bee colonies are experiencing.
- hiPpymIck, on 09/05/2008, -7/+1rhyming slang
- kianat, on 09/05/2008, -1/+2Sad news, but I wonder why only apples and pears are effected by this.
- savethejets, on 09/05/2008, -3/+4In other news Puppy Dogs and Rainbows were also affected.
- unitedkronos, on 09/05/2008, -1/+4It's a repeat of the same situation that wiped out all of the unicorns thousands of years ago.
- deltaandroid, on 09/05/2008, -1/+2I beleive that they are a member of the rose family and rely more heavily on pollination than other fruits for means of reproduction, I could be wrong however.
- UniqueJewelry, on 09/07/2008, -0/+1The bees seem to be disappearing ... honey production is way down in most parts of Europe and here in Turkey as well...
- savethejets, on 09/05/2008, -3/+4In other news Puppy Dogs and Rainbows were also affected.
- cajungator2, on 09/05/2008, -13/+11Watch how much I get dugg down.
This is because of global warming!- owenblacker, on 09/05/2008, -0/+0We've definitely had even more ***** weather than usual the last few years — with major flooding last year (handled really badly by new Prime Minister Gordon Brown). My science background is in the wrong area to know whether or not it's to do with Global Warning, but I certainly wouldn't want to rule it out…
- owenblacker, on 09/05/2008, -0/+0Though this is in the Daily Mail, which is one of the rags *least* deserving of the title *news*paper.
- waydee, on 09/05/2008, -0/+2No it is true to an extent, the odd weather over the past 8-10 years is having noticeable effects on insects and, as I've noticed especially, pond life. The milder winters are screwing with their sense of when to come out and get the job done, in simple terms.
- Eisim, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1helped you. -1
- owenblacker, on 09/05/2008, -0/+0We've definitely had even more ***** weather than usual the last few years — with major flooding last year (handled really badly by new Prime Minister Gordon Brown). My science background is in the wrong area to know whether or not it's to do with Global Warning, but I certainly wouldn't want to rule it out…
- iamyak, on 09/05/2008, -11/+20…………………………………….__,,,,,,,---,,,,,,_…………………………………………………………
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…………| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;- str8danks, on 09/05/2008, -7/+0thats impressive iamyak, but you really have to much time on you hands...
- ZerawBanned, on 09/05/2008, -0/+5That's why they invented copy/paste
- atgmac, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1Oh god, this is the third time I've seen this today.
- edwartica, on 09/06/2008, -0/+2You need to seek medical attention, as over exposure to memes can be fatal!
- str8danks, on 09/05/2008, -7/+0thats impressive iamyak, but you really have to much time on you hands...
- SitPoMk, on 09/05/2008, -3/+4Hopefully I'm not the only one that started reading the title thinking it was about Apple the company and then completely turned off realizing it was about fruit
- Iztikeit, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1I hope you are, because food should be higher on your priority list than some sleazebag corporation.
- jeeky, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1I'm sure plenty of people get turned on by Apple on Digg.
- SuicideMouse, on 09/05/2008, -2/+3“If honey bees become extinct, human society will follow in four years.”
I can't speak for how true those words are but I can say this, the words creep lazily around in the back of my mind and have been all summer as I sit outside and wonder about the bees, where are those summer buzzes, where are we headed now, what have we done?- suckanucka, on 09/05/2008, -1/+3"WTF?"
- deltaandroid, on 09/05/2008, -6/+3Why is four years? I'm sure we don't need honey THAT bad do we? global disaster? maybe, but because of honey? The worst I expect is Winney the Pooh switching over to artificial flavoring
- Iztikeit, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6I think it has more to do with the fact they pollinate a great percentage of the worlds food supply.
But, you could be totally clueless and chalk it up as their honey supply.....
- Iztikeit, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6I think it has more to do with the fact they pollinate a great percentage of the worlds food supply.
- SuicideMouse, on 09/05/2008, -0/+2I don't believe it has anything to do with our consumption of honey...
It's about lack of pollination as far as I'm aware.
Anyways, not my words but like I said, they stick with me.
It is believed by some that Albert Einstein said it, but I haven't found any proof of that, so I don't just slap his name on there. I leave it blank. - CosmicJustice, on 09/05/2008, -1/+1Moths, butterflies, wasps, bumblebees, other pollinators.
- SuicideMouse, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1Really wasn't expecting people to take this so literally, it's just one sign of decreased pollination, which might not even end society, who knows, but I believe the quote fit here.
- Import98, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1http://sweetpeavine.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/peas- ...
Uses the same quote and adds a little bit more information on what bees are good for.
- kigcoopa84, on 09/05/2008, -12/+2Chicago's shooting deaths this summer are two times the US troop casualties in Iraq for the same time period. Way to go Obama! Great organizing!
http://digg.com/world_news/Chicago_death_toll_doub ...
Over 200 diggs and 150 comments= not on front page
At the time I posted this, this article had 117 Diggs; 9 comments and is on the front page.- kingofinternet, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6shut up, you *****
maybe it's not on the front page because the premise of that story is absurd. what are you, blaming obama for crime? you might as well blame community organizers in colorado for forest fires.
- kingofinternet, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6shut up, you *****
- theCreator79, on 09/05/2008, -2/+8Don't worry, Steve Jobs will save Apple again!
- W00DR0W, on 09/05/2008, -0/+2Obviously the solution is to rain down insecticides to kill the parasitic mites.
- DCstewieG, on 09/05/2008, -0/+8All the goddam apples in my front yard and the goddam pears in my back yard beg to differ. Stupid fruit trees!! Who plants these in a yard? Gah!!
- jcaino, on 09/05/2008, -0/+3Someone who likes fruit? You know you can eat them, right?
- mhw1986, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1waste of some really fresh fruit. I wish I had a fruit tree... or a yard.
- unitedkronos, on 09/05/2008, -0/+7It's a shame all the bees are disappearing and not all the bloody wasps instead.
- jp12380, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1Yeah! Why can't it be an insect that is not beneficial for us?!
- TomRemixed, on 09/05/2008, -6/+2Good I ***** hate pears. Bad news about the apples though.
- RetardsGalore, on 09/05/2008, -4/+0Blame God.
- unitedkronos, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1But bees are cute, why not take out the wasps instead?
- Webnower, on 09/05/2008, -3/+13Orange you glad they didn't say banana?
- Gogogo111, on 09/05/2008, -0/+3Ba dum shhh
- GlitchEnzo, on 09/05/2008, -0/+6NOOO! Think of the cider! Mmmm, delicious cider.
- Br3ach, on 09/05/2008, -3/+2Dear god, I am glad I am not the only one who was confused over what the hell Apples has to do with pears
- RedStateRetard, on 09/05/2008, -1/+1No, they are just getting rid of the old stock. New Apples will arrive on Sept 9th.
- dellegazze, on 09/05/2008, -4/+4Am i the only one that thought "stairs" as soon as i saw "apples and pears" and "british" in the same article?
/cockneyrhymingslang- miamistu, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1Not just you - I thought it was gonna be an article about how well Stannah Stairlifts are doing.
- mitchelwinters, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1I digg that
- AlienMushroom, on 09/05/2008, -1/+2Send some iBee, quick!
- kenchie, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1I'm really crapping myself about this
- Guzzz, on 09/05/2008, -4/+3Apple sucks anyway, get PCs
- luap119, on 09/05/2008, -2/+1I got all excited when I saw Apple... what a let down =[
- kayjay, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1ok, this is serious.......
- Elliottx, on 09/05/2008, -0/+5I'm gonna go up the apple and pears to bed.
- Zer01, on 09/05/2008, -1/+0Lions and apples and pears, oh my!
- MynmeisGEorge, on 09/05/2008, -1/+0APPLE PIE BABY! just felt like saying it !
- santaliqueur, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1NO ***** WAI THAT IS HILARIOUS
- atgmac, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1Do other countries not produce apples?
- demosthenes247, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1Is it The Happening yet?
- niradg, on 09/05/2008, -0/+8British apples and pears? Upstairs?
- Iztikeit, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1I for one welcome our foodless future.
- diggdatt, on 09/05/2008, -0/+0All because millions of people want to talk about ***** on their cellphones while driving or walking.
- EkkiEkkiPtang, on 09/05/2008, -2/+1British apples and pears at risk?? What's happening to this world!
- RIPtechtv, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1Living in So Cal and in an area where there are a lot of bees I have noticed in the past 10 years or so a lot less bees around the area ^_^.
- SenatorPenguin, on 09/05/2008, -1/+1Oil seed rape? Try rapeseed oil.
- ChileanGoD, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1Ohh... poor apples and pears. Poor them... while no one gives a flying ***** about the bees that are dying.
- mhw1986, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1the point is that if the bees die, we lose yet another valuable source of food. Great Britain has very few crops that it is capable of growing. If this trend continues, bees and humans and many other animals will be screwed. The ocean ecosystems are taking the hardest hit right now
- Greenergrass, on 09/06/2008, -0/+3Yes the law of nature is destabilized. Same in France, it is serious.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disor ... - sklter84, on 09/06/2008, -1/+2Humans didn't cause it so not our problem.
- andrewtheart, on 09/06/2008, -0/+2I'll be fine, and most people will be fine - Who eats fruit anymore, anyway? Personally, my Cheetos and Twinkie reserves should tide me over any food crisis.
- doublefelix, on 09/06/2008, -0/+2According to this article the British apparently know what causes Colony Colapse Disorder.
- Filter, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1I was getting ready to call shens because I've had several boxes of apples and pears handed to due to there being and overabundance where I live (US).... Then I read it was the British apples and pears. Good thing I read before posting. If they can't solve their problem I'll be glad to share some of my pears with them. I guess that doesn't really help them out much though, huh?
- PpuLATIONLiquid, on 09/06/2008, -0/+1heeeeeey, you know what is primarily responsible for killing bees? Don't blame temperature changes (for now.)
It's the synthetic carcinogenic ***** humans spray on plants to keep bugs away, and the similar synthetic ***** we put in the soil to increase yields that, in force with the monoculture, makes the pesticides necessary. Chemical agriculture is gonna kill (ruin immune system and make them susceptible to diseases and parasites) the queen beez! And we're gonna have to eat a whole lot of tasteless ***** if there's no fruit (assuming you survive the initial environmental catastrophe of bees failing to pollinate most fruiting plants.)
Hopefully it won't come to that...if your gonna worry, use that energy finding places to buy food that do not come from this unnatural machine that could end most of us.
The thing that is Biden/DuPont; now that is something to be worried about. I wonder what Obama's position on the dying bees is...
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